The first thing I noticed was that she had removed her pearl necklace. She never attended formal events without those pearls because Dad always insisted they completed her appearance.
“Maya,” she said quietly.
I prepared myself.
“Are you here to tell me I embarrassed the family?”
Her face collapsed with emotion.
“No,” she whispered. “I’m here to tell you I’m sorry.”
I didn’t know how to respond.
She reached toward my hand but hesitated, leaving the decision to me.
I let her hold it.
“I should have stood up when he said that to you,” she admitted. “I should have stood up many times.”
“Why didn’t you?”
She lowered her eyes.
“At first, because I thought marriage meant loyalty no matter what. Later, because I was afraid. After that, because I had been quiet so long I didn’t know how to begin speaking.”
Forgiving her immediately would have been easy.
